Labour grandee Margaret Hodge today ignited the battle to be the party’s contender for Mayor of London with an apparent swipe at frontrunner Dame Tessa Jowell.

She described Dame Tessa, who was a key ally of Tony Blair, as a “loyalist”, while calling herself “much more of a rebel”.

Links to the former Prime Minister are still toxic in some parts of the Labour Left, which is expected to make up a significant proportion of the London electorate choosing the party’s mayoral candidate next year.

Speaking to the Jewish Chronicle, Mrs Hodge stressed that she and former Olympics minister Dame Tessa were “very different people”.

Having grown up in Orpington, Kent, and as the long-serving MP for Barking, she said: “I’ve got this outer London feel, which I think is very important. I’ve always been much more of a rebel and less of a loyalist than she has. I’m more outspoken, which for the mayor, would be a strength.”

Labour’s mayoral hopefuls have been manoeuvring for months but have so far limited attacks, even veiled, on each other. Leftwinger Diane Abbott, MP for Hackney North and Stoke Newington, said: “I personally have not criticised any other candidate. We can all stand on our merit.”

Labour insiders pointed out that Mrs Hodge who was first elected to Parliament in 1994, was also close to Mr Blair, serving as children’s minister.

While stopping short of declaring her candidacy, Mrs Hodge, 70, said she was in “campaigning mode”, adding: “I’ve got such a broad experience now and so much knowledge and could do it.”